1172: Workflow

2013-02-11T21:22:18Z

75.72.81.8: formatting (m)

{{comic
| number = 1172
| date = February 11, 2013
| title = Workflow
| image = workflow.png
| titletext = There are probably children out there holding down spacebar to stay warm in the winter! YOUR UPDATE MURDERS CHILDREN
}}

==Explanation==
Users will often try to work around bugs in software, and are sometimes able to get used to having the bugs around. Some bugs are even interpreted as features and users complain when the software authors fixed them. A similar effect may be caused by other improvements, particularly those which involve changes in the user interface.

The comic shows a somehow extreme example. Some software had a bug causing the CPU to overheat when you hold the spacebar. In version 10.17, the bug was fixed. Soon, longtimeuser4 complained that they liked the "feature" of CPU overheating on holding spacebar, presents the workflow how they use it (which is, again, more weird than usual) and wants an option to re-enable it. Emacs (''E''ditor ''MAC''ro''S'') is a text editor popular in Linux (with ports to virtually all operating systems including Android) that features a very powerful internal macro language. Macros are little programs or scripts for automating repetitive tasks.

Examples of real life changes in software which, though often acclaimed by critics, caused great annoyance among existing user base include ribbons introduced in Microsoft Office 2007, Start screen of Windows 8 or Unity desktop manager bundled with Ubuntu since version 11.10. In the latter case, developers included an option to use the older interface; for the rest, applications emulating (to some extent) old behaviour were developed by third parties.

The title text makes a hyperbole to humorous effect, children will freeze to death during the winter because they won't be warmed by a rather unconventional heater. Proving (or creating an illusion of) a connection between one's opinion and care for children's welfare is a common method of gaining public support for this opinion, as such arguments are hard to deflect by the other side of the debate.

==Transcript==
:Latest: 10.17       [Update]
----
:'''Changes in version 10.17:'''
:The CPU no longer overheats
:when you hold down spacebar.
----
:<div style="margin-left: 5em;">Comments:</div>
:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:This update broke my workflow!
:my control key is hard to reach,
:so I hold spacebar instead, and I
:configured Emacs to intepret a
:rapid temperature rise as "control".

:'''Admin''' writes:

:That's horrifying.

:'''LongtimeUser4''' writes:

:Look, my setup works for me.
:Just add an option to reenable
:spacebar heating.

Every change breaks someone's workflow.

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Computers]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1172: Workflow